NBA Cup Returns to Las Vegas in December with T-Mobile Arena as Central Stage
The NBA will again host its semifinals and final of its in-season tournament in Las Vegas, in a repeat collaboration with the destination. The events, on Dec. 13 and 16, will take place at the home of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, T-Mobile Arena.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), sponsor of the 2023 and 2024 NBA Cups, regards the tourney as one of the best stimulators to the Las Vegas economy. The first 2023 tourney produced $53.1 million in economic impact, with 26,000 guests traveling in from outside the state.
That total guests dipped briefly to 17,000 in 2024, but officials were hopeful. LVCVA's president, Steve Hill, described the NBA return as a wonderful demonstration of faith in Las Vegas.
“It says something when the NBA continues to choose Las Vegas,” said Hill, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It helps round out that time of year from a sports standpoint.”
Sports tourism rewrites Vegas' appeal
Las Vegas has continuously reshaped its environment to align with changing customer feelings. Having once attempted to attract families through themed hotels in the 1990s, the city in the early 2000s made efforts to further its adult-focused image and establish a reputation for being the planet's party and gaming capital. Nevada has long been a leader in sports betting and casino gambling nationwide.
In recent years, sporting events have been the catalyst for reinvention. Since 2018, the proportion of tourists looking to visit for sports has tripled and now accounts for 6% of the city's 40 million-plus annual tourists.
The inclusion of Formula 1 also reinforced the city's image, with the motorsport race recently announcing a two-year extension to keep running in Sin City. Other rumors concerning MLB and NBA expansions/relocations also continue to hover over the city.
Despite being smaller than major cities like New York and Los Angeles in terms of hosting sporting events, Las Vegas has some unique logistical benefits. With approximately 151,000 rooms in hotels and the ability to service around 300,000 average daily guests, it's more than capable of accommodating large leagues and tournaments.
Economic pessimism fosters hotel discounts
Yet, despite the growing number of sporting events arriving in the city, the tourism sector in Vegas has been battling a constant decline in visitation numbers with deep discounting steps.
Traffic in May dipped for the fifth month in a row, reaching 6.5% below the comparable month last year at nearly 3.5 million. The decline has been attributed to rising economic discomfort caused by President Donald Trump's fluctuating trade policy, which is expected to elevate the cost to the end-user.
Consumer confidence has also dipped, with The Conference Board's index dropping 5.4 points in June.
Spending behavior mirrors the same ambivalence. According to Commerce Department statistics, consumers' spending fell 0.1% in May. While home trips continue to be the leading purpose of visit, responsible for 88% of the total, even overseas tourists have dwindled.
